Eastern CBD Cable Project

We are planning to retire the City East substation as it's reaching the end of its serviceable life. To maintain a safe and reliable electricity supply to Sydney's CBD and surrounding suburbs, the electricity the substation currently supplies needs to be transferred to our Belmore Park substation in the southern CBD. This requires new 11,000 volt underground cables.

The project is currently in the early planning stage. Ausgrid is planning to install underground 11,000 volt cables along sections of Macquarie Street, College Street and Wentworth Avenue in Sydney's CBD. Given the number of underground services in the city streets and other construction work occuring, the route options are limited. A map of the proposed route can be viewed via the link on the right.

Ausgrid will work with local businesses and key stakeholders during the planning phase to minimise community impacts during construction. This includes engaging with the City of Sydney, the MP for Sydney and community living or working along the proposed cable route to receive early feedback on the project. We are also liaising with project teams from other infrastructure projects in the area and other government agencies as part of this process.

Construction is planned to start in mid 2018 and will continue until 2020. Ausgrid will engage with the community during all stages of the project.

Under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, Ausgrid is the determining authority for this project. An environmental assessment (known as a Review of Environmental Factors or REF) will be prepared in accordance with Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and Clause 228 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000.

The REF investigates the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposal. It also recommends mitigation measures as required to ensure any impacts are at acceptable levels. The REF includes a range of specialist studies and input from the community, council and other authorities.

After the REF has been prepared, it will be placed on public exhibition for comment with submissions from the community encouraged. All submissions would be considered and addressed as part of the process to finalise the REF.

Community feedback is important to Ausgrid and will be considered during all stages of the project.

We have started engaging with the City of Sydney Council and other authorities about the proposed work. We are also seeking information from surrounding residents and businesses as part of the early planning process to mitigate impacts during construction.

We are seeking this information through a survey, please see link on the top right of this page. If you work or live along the proposed route, we will contact you directly to seek your participation in the survey, however all feedback will be considered and is encouraged.

There will be several opportunities to find out about the project and to provide input through community information sessions, project updates, a 24 hour community information line and project emails.

Community submissions will be sought during the environmental assessment process.

Once the project has been confirmed, we will update local residents and businesses with what to expect during construction and more detailed time frames.

Consultation with the local community and stakeholders will continue throughout the life cycle of the project and we will let know how we have considered community feedback at each stage. We welcome your feedback at any time, see our contact details at top right of this page.